Something Different
by AkumakoRonso
Summary: Life moves on, as should ghosts. Sai finds himself reborn and unawares of his life as a ghost and mentor to Hikaru. Did I mention he is now a she? Being revised. Please keep a look out.
1. Whole Once More

  


**Something Different**  
_Akumako Ronso_

  
  
  
Series: Hikaru no Go  
Rating: R-for language, adult situations, and possible sexual content  
Chapters: 1/?  
Disclaimer:  
I don't own any of the characters except for Ichikawa Sai, her high school American friends, and possibly her parents.  
  
  
  
Author's notes:

This chapter will be in first person point of view, so that you, the reader, may understand the thinking of my character and her background. The rest of the chapters probably won't be in first person. This is my first fiction, for this series and possibly my first ever. Please don't criticize me to harshly. Some characters may be slightly out of character, but I will try my hardest to keep them in character.

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Prologue...

_Whole Once More..._

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I was born in Tokyo, Japan, but I was raised in the USA because, while on a business trip with my parents, I got sick. My parents were really worried. I wouldn't wake up. My older sister was with us, and since they didn't want her to catch whatever epidemic I contracted, they decided to send her to live with my aunt in Japan. 'Just in case it was contagious,' they would have said.

When they took me to the doctor, they were baffled about what was in front of them. They've never seen anything quite like it before! They just couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. What in the world could make a child freeze and act in such away? 

One of the doctors examining me looked at my eyes. They were open, but unseeing. She told my parents that many people believed that 'the eyes were windows to the soul,' and when she looked, she said that it was like looking at a doll. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
No Life...

  
  
  
  
  
  
No Light...

  
  
  
  
  
Soulless...

  
  
  
  
  
  
She diagnosed that I didn't have a soul.

  
  
What in the world could a doctor prescribe for such a thing? Many doctors didn't believe her. I mean, who would? But what other choice did they have?

My parents were shocked and scared. Or so I'm told. The doctor who called me a doll, said that I could learn, walk, do anything in the world, but I wouldn't... be a 'normal' child. She said that I would be like an 'AI.' A machine that could learn and do anything, but not be able to truly feel, like a normal human could.

  
  
So I grew.   
  
I grew and I learned and I made friends. How could I make friends you ask? I don't know. It just happened. At first they didn't understand me. They thought that I was stuck up, but I wasn't. Then they tried to understand me after one particular moment in our history class.

  
~*~

  
_It was fourth period, freshman year of high school, and the first semester. Our class was learning about WWII, and we were watching a movie about genocide. The move was gory to say the least, so prior to watching the movie, the teacher had us get a permission slip signed like in elementary school._

When the movie was finished, all anyone could take about was how horrible those people were that supported genocide. One of the students noticed that I wasn't talking about the movie, but just sitting there. He asked me how I could be so calm after watching that movie.

Before I could answer, another student asked the same question. I recognized her because I'd heard that she was a nice person. She was of medium height, short golden-brown hair, one blue and one green eye, and her name was Katherine; Katie for short.

To answer their questions, I said, "Because when I watch it, I don't feel anything."

They looked at me for a second, trying to see if I was for real; not joking. The longer they looked, the more they came to realize that I wasn't joking. They asked me how I couldn't feel anything just by watching that movie, how I could be so cold hearted. And I told them tonelessly and without expression:

"I wasn't born like you. And I'm not cold hearted. I was born without a heart that beats like yours."

  
~*~

  
After that, them and their other friends talked to me, trying to understand what I meant. They talked to my parents and me. They were so happy that I had friends now; they always wanted me to have a little bit of the world's 'normality.' What amazed them the most was how quickly we became friends! And great friends at that! Usually it takes years, upon years to have a strong friendship, but not for this abnormal child.

It was a blessing to have friends, that understood me, no matter how limited that understanding was.

But a few weeks before I was 16, everything changed.

I started to remember things I never did. Remembered games I never played! Felt things I never felt! And desired things I never desired. And one desire stood out from the rest of the other. The desire to play go.

So I learned to play and became the best at it. My friends didn't understand the change at first, but they soon accepted, understood, and supported me. They welcomed the change in me! Now, we could communicate together better. I could understand what they were feeling better.

And I felt better…because it was then, in that moment, when I first remembered how to play Go, I gained my soul back.

  
  
  
When my parents saw that I was better, they took me to the doctor for a check up to see if everything was okay. When she was finished, she smiled and said, "I'm glad you are better and that you gained what you've been missing for the passed fifteen years."

After that my parents were happier, and wanted to move back to Japan. I could finally see my sister after so long.

  
  
  
When we arrived, my sister was there to pick us up. We'd already made arrangements to live with her. She was staying in the same house that we lived in together when I was born, keeping it for when we came back. Mom and dad helped pay the bills of course. The first thing my sister said to me made me happy to be back.

"Welcome home…Sai."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

YAY! My first chapter ever finished!!! Please review! It would make me ever so happy! ^^ I've never finished before!

This isn't the first I've ever started, but it is the first I am determined to finish now that I have the first chapter done! Please tell me what you think!

You can e-mail me at -white_dragon16@hotmail.com-. And Sai is a girl, the reincarnation of the original, sort of.


	2. Home Once More

**Something Different**  
_Akumako Ronso_

  
  
Series: Hikaru no Go  
Rating: R-for language, adult situations, and possible sexual content  
Chapters: 2/?  
Disclaimer:  
I don't own any of the characters except for (female) Ichikawa Sai, her high school American friends, and possibly her parents.  
  
Author's notes: 

In the manga 'Hikaru no Go,' Ichikawa Harumi's parents are never mentioned, so I guess they are mine as well. Harumi is the girl that works a Touya Meijin's Salon and treats Touya Akira like a little brother or as if she has a crush on him. Her personality and character aren't really developed in the manga,(at least, not that I know of so far) so I'm making up for her in that department. I don't know how I really want to set the couples but there will be a little yaoi, there will be a mention of Hikaru and Akira acting as if they were a couple, but they won't be.(i.e. they will be **very** good best friends but not in a nasty or perverted way.....that doesn't even make sense to me...anyway, they will be best friends and we will leave it at that!! ;;)  
  


* * *

Chapter 1...

_Home once more...  
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Ring, ring… _

Ring, rin- 

"Moshi, moshi. Touya residence?" a feminine voice came over the phone. 

"Hai, watashiwa Ichikawa Harumi desu. I'm calling to tell Touya Meijin-sama that I won't be working at the salon today. I have family business." 

"Hai. I will inform him of your plans. Arigatou for calling." Touya-san said. 

"Arigatou gozaimasu." 

Ichikawa Harumi sighed and hung up the phone. It was 7:00 am. She was supposed to be at the salon at this time, but she had a lot of work to do today. Besides, Touya Meijin-sama would understand. _'He's probably playing go with Akira-kun, and will find out about now'_ she thought as she began doing dishes. 

As she was doing dishes, her mind began to wander, mostly toward her sister, who she hadn't seen since she was born. "15 years…" she whispered, thinking of how long it's been. It's silly that she hadn't seen her in 15 years, but that's how it was. She'd seen pictures of them: her mother, father, and her sister. 

Finishing the dishes, she wandered into the living room to dust. Cleaning the mantle over the fireplace first, she stared at a picture of her little sister. _'She has father's beautiful blue-black hair, and mother's ocean-blue eyes…'_ she thought, slightly envious. Harumi touched her own hair thinking of the brown hair and blue eyes she gained from her mother. While Harumi's eyes were lively and bright, she noticed that Sai, her onee-chan, had dull eyes, as blank as a sheet of paper. No emotion, no light, nothing. Just a dull blue. And for a moment she was sad. 

_'She's lived like that for 15 years. While there is a smile on her face, there is no emotion in site.'_

Harumi remembered talking to her mother about Sai. How happy she was to find out that her sister was whole again, that she could see her. 

That they were coming home. 

_'I'm finally here at the aiport and I have no clue if they are here or....what gate were they at?....Gate 4.....Oh!...'_

"Oh! I hope that's them..." Harumi mutter as she heade up the escalator toward (what she thought were) her parents at Gate 4. 

She was nervous. It had been so long! Too long, since she'd last seen any of them! Even though the pictures helped, they usually don't do justice to the actual thing. Picking at her light blue skirt she stood anxiously near the gate. 

_"I feel so stupid standing like this,"_she thought. 

That was when she saw them. Her heart filled with joy at seeing her parents. 

Running toward them, they embraced. It felt good to hold them again, to touch them, and feel them. And she looked behind them… 

Nothing, not even the pictures given to her, could do justice to her little sister. 

Standing there, wearing the latest fashion in teenage American kids, was her little sister. Decked out in baggy, black jeans, a yellow '5' T-shirt, and black _Vans_ skateboarding shoes, one would almost think her a boy, if it wasn't for her beautiful black hair up in a ponytail and her pail, angelic face, staring at her in a blank expression, giving nothing away. 

Harumi smiled at her, and receiving a hesitant smile in return, said, 

"Welcome home…Sai." 

And they embraced for the first time since Sai was born. 

As they drove to her new home, Sai took in the sites with as much indifference as she could. She still wasn't used to her new self, showing any emotion, nor did she like the feeling of revealing too much about herself in public with her emotions. But she was so excited! She couldn't wait to get to her new home. Not that anyone could really tell. The **first** thing that she would do was taking out her goban. It had been so **hard** to get one in America. Not many people played there so it was no wonder. 

After playing a few games(which really wasn't fun by one's self), she would...talk to her sister and learn about her. Whatever she could learn, she would. 

Coming out of her planning, she caught the last bit of the conversation flowing between her parents and her _'onee-san,'_ just before they reached the salon. 

"I hope you don't mind, but I have to stopped by the go salon that I work at to pick up somethings," Harumi said, as she stopped in the turn lane for traffic. 

"Oh, of course not dear. It should only take a minute right? Jet-lag is horrible, right dear?" Sai's okaa-san said, turning slightly toward Harumi, then toward her husband. 

"Yes, dear," he said, not turning his attention away from his newspaper. 

Kuriko frowned a little. _He isn't even paying attention…_she thought. Turning back to the road, she watched as the traffic light changed, signaling that they could turn. 

"My, my! Traffic hasn't changed much, has it?" she asked, looking out the window. 

"No, not really," Harumi giggled. "Well, we're here!" 

Turning into a space that was luckily (and surprisingly open) right in front of the salon, she pulled, parked and shut off the car. 

Stepping out, Harumi turned back around and peered at the occupants in the car. 

"You don't have to come in if you don't want to," she said, when they prepared to get out, "I'll only be a moment." 

Her father mumbled an 'alright' before turning back to the paper. Her mother frowned, "It's alright, dear. I wouldn't mind the walk, but I am a little tired...Daijoubu. I'll stay here as well." Kuriko turned back forward in her seat and relaxed. 

Harumi smiled and nodded in understanding. Turning to leave, she paused when she heard Sai speak up. 

"Harumi-san," she said softly, "If you don't mind, may I come in with you?" 

Harumi smiled, gave her affirmative, and waited for Sai to join her. 

* * *

  
  
_-kun_---I used _-kun_ here in reference to not only her aquaintance to him but also in reference to in the author's note at the beginning when I said that Harumi treats Akira like a little brother. I'm not actually sure what title she gives him. It might be _-san_ or _-sama_. As I said, I'm not sure, so we (as in you, the reader, and I will go with this for now) ;) 

Yay! I got the second chapter up! And it's longer than it was before! I'm still going to add more though. I'm trying to write the third chapter as we speak. Tell me what you think by reviewing. Reviewing helps, because that gives me the impression that people actually want to read what I'm writing. REVIEW! 

:D


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